Top 5 Summer Wines

When the sun’s shining there's few things we enjoy more than a good glass of wine. Today there’s so much choice in the world we’ve opted to dive into a selection of wines that aren’t just quality but talking points too! Here’s Novel Wines top 5 summer wines to taste:

1 - Furleigh Estate Rose Brut 2010

Dorset, England. £32.50

When people talk about how English sparkling wine is today amongst some of the best wine in the world, it’s wines like Furleigh Estate Rose Brut that they’re talking about. Mature and fruity, bright salmon pink and with a vibrant soft mousse, this wine is brimming with summer berries, wild strawberries and fresh red cherry. The palate is soft and creamy. Chill it down and sip it in the garden with a punnet of strawberries or even enjoy it alongside a crunchy and indulgent Eton Mess.

If this price is a bit steep, the yummy Cuvee Victoria from a’Beckett’s is a 2009 vintage rose bubbly from Devizes at £24.95. Equally creamy but with a zippy acidity and freshness that makes it a great aperitif when you’re kicking back and relaxing with friends.

2 - Kayra Beyaz Kalecik Karasi 2015

Anatolia, Turkey. £13.50

This classy, multi-award winning salmon pink rose defines summer drinking. Its fruit, the indigenous grape variety Kalecik Karasi, was picked from some of Denizli’s finest high altitude wineries in Anatolia. The result is a beautifully Mediterranean rose with aromas of fresh orange, grapefruit and raspberry with a delicate palate and hints of wild strawberries.

A great match with shellfish, we can just imagine sipping this by the pool with a nice prawn cocktail - or, in Bath, enjoying a glass with a picnic on the skyline walk.

3 - Kardos Tokaj Dry 2015

Tokaj, Hungary. £9.95 

Our exclusive Tokaj blend featuring some of the area’s leading grape varieties Furmint,  Harslevelu and Sargamuskotaly. The result is a beautifully textured white wine with notes of bittersweet orchard fruit, ripe juicy pears and zippy citrus with a clean, long finish. The wine was personally crafted by winemaker Gabor Kardos for the UK market and he’s got our tastes spot on. This wine is cracking!

4 - Prima Donna Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Canelones, Uruguay. £19.95

For a proper summer treat, this Prima Donna Sauvignon Blanc has all the steely freshness and minerality of a great Loire Valley Sauvignon but combined with hints of tropical fruit and dried apricot aromas typical of the New World. It’s moreish, ridiculously high quality wine-making at its best. If you want to have a dinner party and need a wine to impress, the Prima Donna is the wine for you. It makes a great partner with white fish, particularly bream, or you can enjoy it with goat’s cheese and crackers.

If you want to try a cheaper version, the Montes Toscanini Reserva 2014 (£10.95) is a subtle and tropical Uruguayan Sauvignon Blanc that works well lightly chilled and sipped with a green salad.

5 - Sixteen Ridges Early Pinot Noir 2015

Herefordshire, England. £19.95

Summer isn’t all about white, rose or sparkling. Sometimes we just want a glass of red. For us the sun calls for a beautifully made English red from Ledbury. Grown by cider farmers and nurtured into one of England’s finest examples of red wine in the winery, Sixteen Ridges’ early ripening Pinot is brimming with red cherries, structure and succulent tannins. It’s as good as a Red Burgundy but home-grown!

If you’re looking for another summer red, why not give the Colomba Bianca Syrah/Frappato 2015 (£8.95) a taste? Organically grown and Sicilian in style with fresh red fruits, gorgeous acidity and light enough for a second glass or three.

By Ben Franks. For more wine recommendations follow Ben on twitter @BenFranksWine